Posts con el tag ‘international’

I recently attended the ESADE Alumni UK Chapter at the Spanish Embassy in London. Over a hundred alumni who are living and working in the city joined us for the occasion. It was a great experience and one that brought unexpected surprises. Among these were Victor and Alba, who are what I call talent in its pure essence.

I think what impressed me the most about them was their energy and clear mindset at such a young age – they stood out from the rest as being the youngest. Read the rest of this entry »

Many factors and people have contributed to ESADE’s milestones: our Board of Trustees, our faculty, our donors, our students, our alumni, our researchers, our management team and our staff. The members of our International Advisory Board (pictured above) are at the very top of this list. Read the rest of this entry »

A few days ago I received an unexpected surprise. Professor Jan Oosterveld, Chancellor of the International Academy of Management, wrote to inform me that I had been elected as a new Fellow of the Academy for my ongoing contribution to the science of management.

I’m glad to be on board and look forward to the challenge—election to Fellowship is the highest honour conferred by the Academy.

Our mission as Fellows of the Academy is to contribute with our knowledge to the challenging task of advancing the science and art of management. Read the rest of this entry »

Becoming an entrepreneur is a difficult challenge, but if one has the perseverance to overcome the obstacles ahead, the results are definitely worthwhile. The Global Alliance in Management Education-CEMS has recently launched CEMS Entrepreneurs, a new initiative to support those who have initiated the journey to becoming an entrepreneur and promote entrepreneurship around the world.

Two out of the three founding members of this initiative are ESADE CEMS alumni, Ivo Vasilev, co-founder of Bulk Labs, and Ariadna Masó, analyst at BBVA. Out of the 40 entrepreneurs currently taking part in this initiative, up to a dozen are also former ESADE students who have decided to make entrepreneurship their career path. Among them are several social entrepreneurs who have launched new start-ups in pro of sustainability, and others who have found market niches in new technologies, finances, digital marketing and youth entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is rooted in our DNA at ESADE, and it’s one of our major pillars both in the classroom and outside of it through the launch of initiatives like ESADE’s EGarage. It is a great honour for us to see our alumni and alumnae become entrepreneurs. We wish them the best of luck in pursuing their dreams.

A few days ago, I received an email from the founder of Fahrenheit Risk International, Sergi Corbatera. He had attended my Entrepreneurship classes two years ago, and went on to found the company after graduating from ESADE (Lic&MDE, 2011). His business idea is interesting. The company offers tools for businesses to manage the financial risks derived from climate change.

Apparently, climate change can have an impact on businesses, and more than one would think. Around 80% of the world’s global economic activity depends on the weather, which means that any sector of the economy can be affected by climate change, in one way or another. Sergi’s idea is interesting for many businesses, and it covers a market niche in Europe. The company is growing quickly, and it has recently signed an alliance with Weather Trends International to offer European companies a system to forecast the weather a year in advance with 80% accuracy.

Sergi is a good example of an entrepreneur who embraces innovation. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.

The Global Alliance in Management Education (CEMS) has recently published a book that sheds light on how business schools can and should contribute to a better and more sustainable society.

The making and editing of the book was entrusted to our Dean Alfons Sauquet, and to Mette Morsing, Director of the CBS Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility at Copenhagen Business School.

The book – a compendium of contributions from more than 40 business school deans, rectors and distinguished scholars from around the world – aims to bring the role of business schools and their contribution to society to the public debate.

“Business Schools and their Contribution to Society” addresses the legitimacy of business schools as agents for social change, and stimulates self-reflection and critical thinking, embracing a healthy debate that translates into different points of view around the challenges facing business education today.

The book starts off with a chapter by Harvard professors Rakesh Khurana and Daniel Penrice that provides an in-depth overview of the history of American business schools since their emergence in the XIX Century, their rapid expansion and transformational stages during the XX Century, and the identity crisis they faced in the nineties that forced them to redefine themselves. The authors state that to live up to their mission of enhancing society’s welfare, business schools today must embrace a more complex and integrative view of the relationship between business and society.

This starting reflection by Harvard experts is echoed throughout the book, with several contributions from deans and distinguished professors from around the globe that share historical perspectives, new trends, and concrete examples of how business schools are contributing to social change.

The authors also discuss in detail what new measures could be taken to improve business schools’ contribution to society. It’s inspiring to see the openness and honesty they all share in presenting the major challenges that still lie ahead for business schools to become really effective social agents.

Although opinions differ throughout the book, all the authors share a similar overall perspective: They all acknowledge that business schools have a profound obligation to contribute to society, and that efforts still need to be made to strengthen their legitimacy as agents for social change in the years to come. Their humbleness is inspiring, and it will hopefully serve as a platform for a better future.